many schools seemed to decide to close before it had even started snowing in our area.

If the school has fairly local staff and children then there is no reason not to open. The only difference is that often children attending pre-schools are in the local area so can walk in safety but schools have children coming from further afield (sometimes) so the school does not want to risk people attempting to drive in if its not safe.

The headmaster from the fee paying school near me has been on the radio this morning effectively saying it is a disgrace that the state schools are shut as they have a responsibility to working parents to be open. Nothing about a responsibility to the children, or to any other parents.

We still have a lot of snow and ice on the ground here.

Cynical me thinks it's nothing to do with 'responsibility' and everything to do with being able to remain open in order to make money - I assume that fees aren't paid if school is closed as the service being paid for isn't being provided (happy to be told otherwise though!) TBH, I think it's far more responsible to look at the conditions here and choose to close, keeping the staff and children/parents off the roads and not adding heavy school-run traffic to the already dodgy conditions.

Flisspaps: I am telling you otherwise, if you're asking about schools (as opposed to private nurseries/pre-schools, which I know nothing about). We pay at the start of every term. If school is closed, we do not get a refund!

Fliss...where we live it is a standing joke that the private/fee paying schools all close at the drop of a hat, whilst the state schools make an effort to remain open. I have never yet received a penny back from the school!

Having said that, it was noticeable that dc3s preschool nursery managed to open this morning....

Fee paying schools do not have to refund fees if there is a closure. It depends on the cause. If it is a Act of God (like snow), then they generally don't; if it is something insurable, then it might (our private nursery couldn't refund for snow, but could for an electrical failure). Parents are urged to take out insurance which refunds fees for closure, but these generally only kick in if the closure exceeds 5 school days.

sorry to put cold water on theories about fee paying schools having to refund fees on snow days if closed - doesn't happen ! At least in my limited experience of 2. can't answer for totally private preschools either but we didn't refund when I was a pre-school manager a few yrs back and we were partially funded thru the early years fund.

Slightly off topic, but... also irks me that we have to pay huge amounts for residentials/trips when we're already paying for the children to be at school on the relevant days. I know they still have to pay salaries etc, but it still bugs me.

Fee-paying schools and all private nurseries are not required to report attendance figures. If there is snow and the school opens, some kids won't attend and this will go down as unauthorised absence. If whole school is closed this problem is avoided

State schools with poor attendance figures get hauled up before LA and cannot be awarded highest Ofsted grade.

Fee-Paying schools have attendance figures checked on by the independent schools inspectorate and where relevant work with EWOs.

Fees are not returned if school is closed by an act of God. Parents can insure against loosing out in this way and claim on their fees insurance for a refund if a child misses school due to snow/illness/other legitimate cause.

Slightly off topic, but... also irks me that we have to pay huge amounts for residentials/trips when we're already paying for the children to be at school on the relevant days. I know they still have to pay salaries etc, but it still bugs me.

Your fees cover a day in school. This costs the same to run whether your child is there or not.

The fees for residentials cover, the specific costs of the residential. They are not a profit making exercise.

A lot will be down to staffing levels. Dd's school was open last year when all state schools in town were shut but as far as I know they put Classes together. Class sizes are 10 to 16 children max so 2 or 3 can be safely combined if some staff can't travel in. Dd's school is shut today and no we won't be entitled to a refund.

Felicity, to judge by the price of some of these 'extras', someone is definitely making a profit, even if it's not the school. State schools are charged far less for exactly the same trips, curiously. Do the organisers assume they can just charge private school parents double?

DS at fee paying school is in todayDD at state primary shut I think one of the issues may be if staff have shildren who are at schools which are shut, it makes it hard for them to get into school/nursery etc. One big vicious circle.

Felicity, to judge by the price of some of these 'extras', someone is definitely making a profit, even if it's not the school. State schools are charged far less for exactly the same trips, curiously. Do the organisers assume they can just charge private school parents double?

Without a specific example it's difficult to argue against this. I can only say it isn't my experience. Independent schools are (mostly) charities, and aren't allowed to show a profit as such, although I suppose it is possible that they don't always search for the cheapest options.